- Crayfish Canal Lap Pool
- Frog Bog Activity Pool
- Dragonfly Den Toddler Pool
- Turtle Creek Lazy River
- Salamander Slides
- Diving Boards
- Concessions Area
- Splash Park
- Sand Play Area
- Locker Rooms & Family
Changing Rooms:
Men’s & Women’s locker
rooms with coin-operated lockers & swim suit dryers. Family
changing rooms are available.
Otter Cove is a state-of-the-art facility. It was designed and constructed based on the current aquatic industry standards and practices, which is why there are differences in the appearance, design, construction and safety precautions & guidelines compared to other area pools.
Yes. All food must be consumed in the concession area. A concessionaire offers burgers, hot dogs, pizza, small snacks and healthy options.
Yes, please see the Admissions Office for a hand stamp. Hand stamps are only valid for the day you purchased your daily fee. You will need to pay admission again or show a valid pool pass for any additional days you wish to visit.
Otter Cove requires all children who are not toilet trained to wear a swim diaper. When regular diapers become immersed in water they expel into the water the gel used to absorb urine and fecal matter. A swim diaper is designed not to disintegrate while swimming like a regular diaper. It is recommended to combine a swim diaper with tight fitting plastic or rubber pants. The fecal matter is contained and is less likely to contaminate the swimming pool water.
Parents and guests who wish to observe programs or events should sit in the concessions area unless otherwise notified by staff. Staff strongly enforces that guests with children, age 10 & under, also sit in this area to prevent the child from falling into the water since an aquatic environment is an attractant for children. This will provide the best experience for your child(ren) enrolled in programs.
Swim suits only, please. The following are NOT appropriate swim attire: sports bras, sports shorts, basketball shorts, cut off jeans, underwear, thong bikinis or suits that are deemed too revealing for a family environment because of transparency, cut or tightness of fit. It is also recommended that small children wear thermal swim suits or swim suits that cover more body area. Since the body mass is drastically different than adults or older, children heat loss is greater and they are more susceptible to harmful affects of UV rays. Staff suggests that your child wear a hat to prevent heat loss and shade them from harmful UV rays. Before and after your child swims, it is recommended that you keep them warm with a hooded terry cloth robe or towel.
Each pool is heated! The preferred pool temperature for Crayfish Canal Lap Pool is between 80 and 82 degrees. The Frog Bog Activity Pool and Dragonfly Den Toddler Pool's water temperature is between 84 and 86 degrees. The Turtle Creek Lazy River preferred water temperature is between 82 and 84 degrees.
Otter Cove allows small floatation devices such as life jackets, water noodles, small inflatable rings, arm floats, etc. in the Frog Bog Activity Pool area only. Single- and double-person inner tubes are available, at no additional charge, for use only on the yellow tube slide and in the lazy river. Provided inner tubes are the only floatation devices allowed on the yellow tube slide and in the lazy river. Staff does not allow any type of rafts in Otter Cove. Raft Night special events only take place at Swanson Pool in Pottawatomie Park.
Water wings, floating rings, and buoyant bathing suits can offer a false sense of security when it comes to pool safety. While they may help make swimming fun for an infant or toddler who cannot swim on his own, never trust them to take the place of your watchful eye.
The water slide manufacturer requires that all users of the water slide be a minimum height of 42” to prevent the guest from being seriously injured. Persons over 42” but under 48” must use a life jacket.
The water slide manufacturer requires that all guests use the slide one person at a time, feet first on your back. Inner tube manufacturers require that only 1 person to a single inner tube and only 2 people to a double inner tube. This prevents the potential injury to the neck or back. When a guest uses the slide with a child on their lap, it increases the risk of the guest to have a neck or back injury and the child to potentially slip off the person and become severely injured. The flow of the water slides and the lazy river also increase the potential of injury when more than 1 guest uses the slide or an inner tube at a time and can result in multiple guests becoming injured.
Certain pools at Otter Cove are restricted during the week for St. Charles Park District programs, such as swim team practice or swim lessons. The Park District will make every effort to inform you of possible pool closures posting signs and updating www.ottercove.org.
 
The District's lifeguard training provider, Jeff Ellis & Associates (E&A) requires that staff practice Vigilance Awareness Training (VAT) as an educational tool for lifeguards. E&A has long been an innovator in the aquatic community. VAT seeks to educate, train, and prepare lifeguards for a submersion event. Through exhaustive research, the VAT training uses a mannequin to simulate a submerged victim. E&A found that with this training technique, the average detection time was 30 seconds; some detection occurred in as little as 10 seconds. This program is unique in that it involves actually showing lifeguards what a submerged victim looks like. If you see a mannequin in or around Otter Cove, do not remove it.
At least 2 lap lanes are open during all normal operating hours, except during rentals which may occur anytime of the week. Lap swimmers are expected to circle swim when there are more than 2 swimmers per lane. Circle swimming is defined as swimming in a lane in a standard counter-clockwise direction, up the right side and back down the left. For the safety and comfort of the lap swimmers, lap swimming is available to ages 16 and older.
Click here for aquatic park rules.
Yes, Guest Services carries
a variety of items including sun screen, goggles, lip balm, buckets, totes, t-shirts (child sizes only) and swim diapers.
 On cooler days, bring a towel that wraps completely around
you to keep you warm when entering and exiting the pool.
For children, bring a hooded towel or robe to keep them warm.
- Read the safety guidelines before entering the facility.
Click here for general aquatic park rules.
- If your child is not toilet trained, make sure they wear
a swim diaper when swimming. Remember to check their diaper
frequently and change the swim diaper as needed to prevent
contamination of the pool water. Swim diapers are available
for purchase from the Admission Office at Otter Cove.
- For sun safety tips, click here.
- Call ahead to Otter Cove Aquatic Park at 630-513-4377 to ensure the facility is open for the duration you would
like to swim.
The
lifeguard staff is trained under the top national water park
safety program, Ellis & Associates. The lifeguard staff
must complete and pass a 20-hour training program which includes
lifeguard rescue skills, AED training, oxygen administration
training, emergency procedures and community CPR. The lifeguards
must also attend weekly in-service training sessions and
participate in surprise simulations. Throughout the year,
auditors from Ellis & Associates conduct 3 unannounced
visits to audit staff performance.
Remember: Lifeguards are
on duty only to enforce rules and to respond in case of an
emergency. To ensure that lifeguards are attentive to the
area they are assigned to watch, please keep all questions
brief. If you would like more clarification on a rule or
procedure of Otter Cove, please ask a pool manager
or the Aquatic Supervisor.
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What type
of swimming attire should I wear?
Why can't a child sit on my lap when
using the water slide or inner tube in the lazy river?